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THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST 
IN HARTFORD 



THE MINISTERS 

THE MEETING HOUSES 

THE MEMORIAL GIFTS 



Printed by the Church 
April, 1915 






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THE MINISTERS 



Thomas Hooker 1633-1647 

Samuel Stone 1633-1663 

John Whiting 1660-1670 

Joseph Haynes 1664-1679 

Isaac Foster 1680-1682 

Timothy Woodbridge 1685-1732 

Daniel Wadsworth 1732-1747 

Edward Dorr 1748-1772 

Nathan Strong 1774-1816 

Joel Hawes 1818-1867 

WoLCOTT Calkins 1862-1864 

George H. Gould 1864-1870 

Elias H. Richardson 1872-1879 

George Leon Walker 1879-1900 

Charles Marion Lamson 1894-1899 

Rockwell Harmon Potter 1900- 



THE MEETING HOUSES 



The House in Newtown (now Cambridge), Massachu- 
setts, was used by the Church from its organization in 1632 
until its removal to Hartford, in 1636 

The First House in Hartford was a temporary and rude 
building near the site of the present Post Office, used from 
1636 until 1640 

The Second House in Hartford was near the site of the 
present Post Office, and was used from 1641 until 1739 

The Third House in Hartford was built upon the site of 
the present Meeting House in 1739, and was used until 1807 

The Fourth House in Hartford was built in 1807. The 
hundredth anniversary of its dedication was celebrated 
December 1-3, 1907 

The First Lecture Room of the Church was built in 
1814 upon the north side of Temple street, between Main and 
Market streets. The Second Lecture Room building north 
of the Meeting House was purchased in 1832, and used until 
1909, when the Center Church House was built 

The Name of the Church is The First Church of 
Christ in Hartford. The successive meeting houses have 
been known by various names. The present house has long 
been known as Center Church, a name often familiarly used 
of the Church itself 



THE MEMORIAL GIFTS 



THE WINDOWS 



The Pastors Window, at the west end of the Meeting 
House, in memory of the Pastors of the Church during the 
first two hundred and fifty years of its history 

The gift of Samuel Hamilton, in 1881 

Subject: The Ascension, with scenes from the Nativity 
and the Baptism 

The Gatlin Window, in memory of the CatHn family 
The gift of Julius Cathn, in 1883 
Subject: The Cross and the Crown 

The Bissell Window, the gift of George P. Bissell in 
memory of his mother, Henrietta Perkins Bissell (Mrs. Josiah), 
and his daughter, Henrietta Perkins Bissell, in 1884 

Subject: St. Anne Instructing the Virgin 

The Perkins Window in memory of Ellen, George C. 
and Edward H. Perkins, members of this Church 

The gift of their mother, Sarah Emmons Perkins (Mrs. 
Henry A.), in 1886 

Subject: Jesus Blessing the Children 

The Henry A. Perkins Window, in memory of Henry 
A. Perkins, a member of this Church 

The gift of his wife, Sarah Emmons Perkins, in 1886 
Subject: The Holy Family 



The Corning Window, in memory of Ezra Corning, 
George Corning and George \V. Corning, Deacons of this 
Church 

The bequest of George W. Corning, in 1887 

Subject: The Transfiguration 

The Gallaudet Window, in memory of Thomas Hopkins 
Gallaudet, the founder of deaf-mute instruction in America 
and the first preacher to the insane, a member of this Church 
The gift of Peter Wallace Gallaudet, his son, in 1887 
Subject: The Healing of the Dumb Demoniac 

The Day Window, in memory of Calvin and Catherine 
Seymour Day, members of this Church 

The gift of their children, Caroline Seymour Day, Kath- 
erine Perkins Day Jackson, Julia Seymour Day Bissell and 
John Calvin Day, in 1894 

Subject: The Resurrection Morning 

The Smith Window, in memory of Wilder Smith 
The gift of his wife, Charlotte M. Davis Smith, in 1894 
Subject: St. John on the Isle of Patmos 

The Caldwell Window, in memory of John Caldwell, 
member of this Church 

The gift of John Caldwell Parsons, in 1894 
Subject: The Angel of the Resurrection 

The Bryan Hooker Window, in memory of Bryan 
Edward Hooker, a Deacon of this Church 

The gift of his wife, Martha H. Williams Hooker and 
their sons Edward \V. and Thomas \N. Hooker, in 1899 

Subject: Hope 



8 



The Hooker Window, in memorv of "Th ,, , 

Pastor of this Cliurch 1633 fi47^ , , Thomas Hooker, 

1636; leader among thefolnri!; *T,?''"'^'' " *° "^^""^d 
wealth" ^ founders of this city and common- 

190o'"'' ^" "' ^"^ ^"™^ "°°ker (Mrs. Edward W.).in 
Subject: Hooker Preaching at Hartford 

disco™t.Ss1::'nd Kr^K^^ "°^^- ^^'^"^' t-e 
members of thrchtch ^'"''^" '^"'^^ ^^'^"^' his wife, 

'KtsrdT?r^^-"^"^''-^- 
The\t,rsrofS"wiSoir-°^"-->--°- 

Subjects: Jesus and Nicodemus 
The Lilies of the Field 



9 

THE TABLETS 



The Kendall Tablet, in memory of Stephen Preston 
Kendall, his wife, Lucretia Post Kendall, and their daughter. 
Jennett P. Kendall Mayo, (Mrs. William K.) 

The gift of William K. Mayo, in 1888 

The Hawes Tablet, in memory of Joel Hawes, Pastor 
of this Church, in 1896 

The Williams Tablet, in memory of Thomas Scott 
Williams, a Deacon of this Church 

The gift of John Caldwell Parsons, in 1896 

The Cooke Tablet, in memory of JohnWarburton Cooke 
The gift of the Congregation, in 1899 

The Dennis Tablet, in memory of Rodney Dennis 
The gift of his children, Grace Dennis Cutler (Mrs. R. W.), 

Charlotte W. Dennis Little (Mrs. Thomas), Bertha P. Dennis 

and Rodney Strong Dennis, in 1899 

The Parsons Tablet, in memory of John Caldwell 
Parsons 

The gift of his sisters, Mary Parsons Webb (Mrs. Watson) 
and Ehzabeth S. Parsons Newton (Mrs. John W.), and his 
son, Francis Parsons, in 1900 

The Walker Tablet, in memory of George Leon Walker, 
Pastor of this Church 

The gift of the Congregation, in 1901 

The Lamson Tablet, in memory of Charles Marion 
Lamson, Pastor of this Church 

The gift of the Congregation, in 1901 

The Tablet in the Porch giving the name of the Church 
and the hours of service 

The gift of Frank G. Smith, in 1901 

The Hills Tablet, in memory of J. Coolidge Hills 
The gift of his wife, Elsie Sessions Hills, in 1915 



10 

THE OTHER MEMORIALS 



The Pulpit Bible in the Version of 1611 

The gift of Reuben Smith, in memory of his father, 
Solomon Smith, in 1814 

The Pulpit Bible, in the American Version of 1901 

The gift of Charles A. Jewell, in memory of his sister, 
Charlotte A. Jewell, in 1905 

The Pulpit Table 

The gift of Antoinette R. Phelps, in memory of her 
niece Antoinette R. Phelps Pierson, in 1903 

The Antique Pulpit Chair 

The gift of Charles T. Wells, in 1907 

The Baptismal Font 

The gift of Mary D. and Charlotte M. Ely, in memory 
of their mother, Clarissa May Davis Ely (Mrs. William), in 1892 

The Baptismal Bowl 

The gift of Charles T. Wells, in memory of George Leon 
Walker, Pastor of this Church, in 1903 

The Communion Table, in memory of Sarah Emmons 
Perkins (Mrs. Henry A.), the gift of her grandchildren, Mabel 
H., Henry A. and Edward C. Perkins, in 1901 

The Communion Plates for use in the galleries were the 
gift of Newman Hungerford, in memory of his mother, 
Caroline Catlin Hungerford (Mrs. Anson), in 1904 

The Memorial Chairs were given on the occasion of the 
One Hundredth Anniversary of the dedication of the Meeting 
House, in memory of ten founders of the Church by ten of 
their lineal descendants, on December 1, 1907 



11 

The Silver Offering Plates were given in memory 
of eight founders of the Church by eight Hneal descendants, 
in 1908 

The Memorial Organ was the gift of Lucy Sedgwick 
Church, in memory of her husband, Leonard D. Church. 
It was placed within the case of the organ built in 1835. In 
1907 the organ was rebuilt as an anniversary gift of the Con- 
gregation in gratitude for the preservation of the Meeting 
House through one hundred years, in 1883 

The Safes for the keeping of the records of the Church 
and of the Communion Service were given by Newman 
Hungerford, in memory of his father, Anson Hungerford, and 
of his brother Clarence Catlin Hungerford, in 1904 

The Day Gateway, at the north side of the Meeting 
House was given in memory of John Calvin Day, by his 
wife, Alice B. Hooker Day, and their daughters, Katherine 
Seymour Day and Alice Hooker Day, in 1903 

The Center Church House, the Parish House of this 
Church, with the site on which it is built, was given 
in memory of Francis B. Cooley, by his wife, Clarissa A. 
Smith Cooley, and their children, Francis R. Cooley, Sarah 
Cooley Hall (Mrs. George A.), Charles P. Cooley and Clara 
Cooley Jacobus (Mrs. Melancthon \V.), in 1905 

The Camp Site at Columbia, Conn. William R. 
Sanborn gave to the Church a camp site of thirty-two 
acres on Columbia Lake in memory of his father and mother, 
Daniel R. and Annie R. Sanborn, in 1914 

The Memorial Funds are recorded in the Year Book 
of the Church 



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